Note at top of page.

1817 Oct. 25

Not Paul

Ch Paul’s Doctrine

§ Faith & Works

Mischief of faith

As to the practical effect of this notion by which merit is attached to faith none can it have but in proportion as it weakens and distorts / produces weakness and distortion / in the understanding of the believer in that one of his / its / faculties which is called the judgment or judicial faculty.

For producing or endeavouring to produce persuasion on one side of a question to the exclusion of or in preference to the other―on the affirmative to the exclusion of the negative, or on the negative in preference to the affirmative, there is but one possible course; and that is to fix the attention upon the considerations that tend to render the one / operate / plead / in favour of the one / side probable in preference to or to the exclusion of those which plead in favour of the other.

Now if on / Let / any other subject whatsoever other than religion in any other part whatsoever of the field of thought and action other than that which belongs to religion, in so far as practice were to be governed by it Marginal note at this point: ‘this tampering with the judicial faculty this endeavour to prevent it’. the course of conduct thus described would be universally acknowledged to be the height of folly and injustice: of folly in so far as a / the / man’s own interest were at stake upon the rectitude of his judgment and consequent practice of injustice in so far as the interest of any other person were at stake.